The dentist is at the top of my “dislike” list, surpassing even hospital visits and the obligation to eat vegetables. My aversion to dental appointments is particularly strong due to my frequent relocations, leading me to perpetually seek out new dentists to whom to entrust my dental care.
In conversations with friends who have encountered similar struggles in locating dependable dentists, I’ve been regaled with an assortment of distressing narratives. These range from having artificial cavities filled to being overcharged for services they never underwent. One unanimous sentiment emerged from our discussions: finding a trustworthy dentist is a formidable challenge.
Likewise, you might encounter difficulties in attracting and retaining quality clients in substantial numbers. Here, we present astute “dental” marketing concepts designed to simplify the process of prospective customers discovering your practice.
1. Targeted Facebook Ads for Community Awareness
While spreading the word about your dental practice is essential, precision in your marketing audience is equally vital. It’s unlikely that displaying ads for your practice outside a 50-mile radius would be advantageous—for instance, having your Pennsylvania-based ads viewed in California would serve no purpose.
Local Awareness ads serve as an excellent tool to engage a geographically proximate audience. Introducing the newly integrated map card, you can now convey regionally pertinent particulars about your dental enterprise, such as location, distance, operating hours, and a link to obtain directions. Additionally, your call-to-action (CTA) can be conveniently transformed into a call button, providing an effortless nudge to schedule an appointment.
2. Call-Initiating Advertisements
The primary objective of dental marketing and advertising revolves around encouraging patients and potential clients to secure appointments, typically achieved by dialing the office number. Click-to-call ads are accessible across Facebook and Google Ads (previously referred to as Google AdWords) on mobile, desktop, and tablet devices. This feature can be seamlessly incorporated into ongoing advertisements, or you have the option to construct campaigns exclusively designed for call-initiation purposes.
3. Exclusively Mobile Call Ads
Google reports that a significant portion of healthcare-related searches are conducted on smartphones, with health-related inquiries comprising one in every twenty Google searches. This presents a valuable opportunity that you shouldn’t overlook. By utilizing call-only campaigns within Google Ads, you can craft ads exclusively tailored for mobile devices.
4. Precision Targeting via Facebook Demographics
Leveraging Facebook’s extensive range of demographic targeting options can significantly work in your favor. Beyond the evident choices, you possess the capacity to pinpoint potential clientele based on language, relationship status, occupation, earnings, and areas of interest. The research underscores that a remarkable 90% of dental purchasing choices are made by women. Ensure your presence is prominent by aiming your advertisements at women who have recently made purchases of children’s apparel and reside within your locality.
5. Scheduling Alerts
Ensuring patient attendance is pivotal, whether achieved through postcards or telephone notifications. Simplify this procedure by harnessing Google Calendar alerts, complemented by the dispatch of appointment confirmations and reminders via email.
Furthermore, these approaches can be effortlessly employed to prompt patients to schedule appointments, such as annual cleanings.
6. Google Ads Targeting Based on Financial Status
Maintaining a regular flossing routine and adhering to annual dental cleanings is advisable, yet the reality is that many individuals fall short. Within Google Ads, you possess the capacity to direct your focus towards distinct demographics contingent upon their income bracket.
Access the settings section and opt for the “Advanced Location” feature. This action will unveil the following menu:
Income Targeting on AdWords
Next, select the tab labeled “Location groups,” where you’ll encounter a trio of options. The one of relevance here is titled “Demographics.”
Income Targeting on AdWords
Now, proceed to designate the desired household income bracket or brackets and proceed by clicking the prominent crimson “add” button!
Income Targeting on AdWords
This resource can be effectively employed to channel advertisements towards higher income strata, catering offerings like teeth whitening or veneers, while individuals in lower income brackets may exhibit a heightened interest in fundamental health maintenance.
7. Re-Targeting Advertisements
Re-engagement, often coined as “effortless gains,” presents an avenue to reconnect with individuals who have previously explored your website or engaged with your practice. This is achieved by delivering tailored advertisements geared towards rekindling the interest of these potential customers.
In the context of your dental practice, if you gather email addresses, you can optimize their utility through Google Ads’ Customer Match and on Facebook! Simply input the collected email addresses to formulate a re-engagement audience, thereby crafting an advertisement designed to entice patients to revisit your practice. This could encompass a reminder for a check-up or even a teeth whitening session.
8. Utilize Facebook’s Messenger Ad Format
A recent addition to Facebook’s advertising repertoire involves integrating Messenger as a communication channel for businesses. Advertisers can incorporate a “Send Message” call-to-action (CTA) within their ads, redirecting potential customers to the Messenger platform. Although presently in the beta phase, this innovative feature is slated for a comprehensive release in the near future.
9. Advertising Through Google Maps
A strategic presence on Google Maps has the potential to directly guide a prospective patient to your dental clinic. A search for “dentist” triggers results displayed both on the map and in the search results list. On mobile devices, these ads even integrate directional cues and call-to-action prompts.
While we’re on the topic of Google Maps, explore the state of your Google Business Profile and other directory listings using our complimentary business listings assessment tool.
10. Advertising Opportunities on Waze
Similar to Google Maps, Waze offers a direct avenue for advertising. Given its community-driven nature, advertising on Waze takes on a distinctive character—individuals in proximity to your establishment will encounter a “digital billboard” displayed on the map, alongside being featured in search results. This affords potential customers the option to chart a course to your dental clinic or earmark the location for future reference.
11. Immediate Response Keywords
A mere two months ago, I found myself engaged in a 2AM search for “urgent wisdom tooth extraction Boston.” Surprisingly, the initial two search results lacked a “call” call-to-action, leading me to opt for the third result and an additional pair from the top-rated selections on Google Maps. While none of these attempts were met with an answer (which was to be expected), I eventually scheduled an appointment with the first practice that promptly returned my call.
Investing in keywords like “emergency” or “urgent” presents a straightforward avenue to acquire clients with pressing needs and a heightened intent to engage; contemplate the potential return on investment for such keywords! However, it is essential to ensure that your practice is capable of handling emergency cases and provides a streamlined means of contacting the practice; failure to do so may culminate in unfavorable reviews on Google.
12. ZocDoc
In a realm where millennials disdain nothing more than shelling out for Wi-Fi, conversing with medical practitioners over the phone is right up there. Enter ZocDoc, a mobile application designed to assist patients in locating doctors based on specialization, insurance coverage, geographical proximity, and appointment openings. It’s akin to reserving a table through OpenTable, but for securing medical appointments. Presently, this app has established a presence in numerous major cities, and even ventured into a few smaller locales!
13. Yelp
Based on a 2014 study, a remarkable 88% of consumers place as much trust in online reviews as they do in recommendations from acquaintances. The significance of Yelp cannot be emphasized enough—ensure you assert ownership of your business! It’s highly probable that individuals are already composing reviews about your practice; these submissions should be addressed and meticulously scrutinized for precision. When it comes to seeking out a dependable dentist, millennials frequently turn to Yelp as their initial destination. It’s crucial to position yourself prominently to capture the attention of potential patients.
14. Instagram
Have you ever come across Dr. Pimple Popper?
Although not everyone’s cup of tea, this dermatologist has gained Instagram fame by showcasing pimple popping. Celebrities, too, employ their Instagram accounts to endorse teeth-whitening products, while orthodontists proudly exhibit compelling before-and-after snapshots.
Instagram has also transformed into an online marketplace. Establishing an Instagram profile for your practice can serve as a platform to exhibit your distinctive methodologies and reach potential patients through the realm of social media. With consistent updates, you can undoubtedly maintain your practice’s prominent position in the minds of your followers.
15. Email Marketing
Envision a realm where patients have the convenience of emailing your practice whenever they wish to schedule an appointment. In this scenario, your receptionist could promptly furnish a selection of available time slots, culminating in a seamlessly arranged appointment securely logged on the calendar. Beyond this, the potential extends to sending invoices, issuing reminder emails, and even crafting endearing “we’ve missed you” correspondences.
16. Incentivized Referrals
According to the Pride Institute, a staggering 93% of individuals place trust in recommendations originating from their friends. Foster and capitalize on these endorsements! Implementing referral bonuses offers a means to both retain existing clientele and amplify the scope of your practice. Express your appreciation by extending a $10 discount towards a dental visit for each referral that proceeds to schedule an appointment. Simplify the process by distributing business referral cards during patient check-outs and including them within any correspondence you dispatch.
17. Visual Promotion
As highlighted by Margot’s recent findings, the healthcare sector is progressively embracing video marketing. Ensure you’re part of this trend! Incorporating videos featuring authentic individuals from your practice can facilitate the establishment of a genuine rapport with your potential clients. This connection, in turn, paves the way for trust-building, recommendations, and an augmented influx of appointments.
18. Postal Advertising
The era of populating mailboxes with promotional postcards is far from obsolete. Direct mail remains effective, particularly for the baby boomer demographic, presenting a prime avenue to spotlight your specialized services or competitive pricing. An exemplar practice encountered the outcome of their direct mail initiative, revealing that every 5,000 postcards dispatched yielded an average of 35 incoming calls and 7 fresh patients. Such impressive results underscore a substantial return on investment!
19. Community Engagements
During my childhood, I participated in recreational sports leagues where local businesses sponsored each team, covering the cost of our team jerseys adorned with their logos. This not only elevates your business visibility among parents with young children, but it also offers the opportunity to include complimentary toothbrushes and a concise postcard detailing children’s dental care. A practice that incorporated this approach with kindergarteners shared that an impressive 70% of parents transitioned to their practice after receiving this informative material.
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